ninaandted

I thought they were only illegal without a vet's prescription in NSW (unless my vet has been misinformed?)

This is certainly how it has worked with Nina and has been very quick to give results. we've now done our two days under supervision and Nina is up to wearing it during the day while we are out, but even in the first few days I noticed a huge drop in her "cycle" of barking. when triggered she would start barking and just wind herself up into a frenzy - running around the yard in circles and completely stressing out - long after there was any "need" to bark. it was obvious that she was upsetting herself and it was at the point where she was always "on duty" - twenty four hours a day - waiting for something to happen. just in the short time we have had the collar she's responded really well. when she goes out in the back yard she's not looking for things to bark at regardless of whether or not she has the collar on at the time. she still barks at the normal things that used to set her off, but gives only the two barks and calms down. I admit to being really nervous myself and I didn't enjoy the first day of Nina wearing it - she probably didn't care though!! I was waiting for her to get it to level 7 and zap herself unconscious!! (I know this would be highly unlikely given that it is a little battery in the thing...) she caught onto the concept really quickly and seems to know now that she can have her two barks and then it needs to stop. admittedly she's not at the end of the spectrum that would need medication to calm her down - she is just very excitable gets a bit loony at times about certain things and interrupting her behaviours works really well for her to prevent her winding herself up completely. this way she can have her natural self-expression without it going overboard. and as mentioned earlier, in NSW you need to talk to your vet first anyway before you get the collar, so if they know your dog well they will be able to advise if they would be traumatised by it or if they require medication instead.

that is better news - i hope that she is feeling even better soon. it would have been so scary for you both with her going downhill so fast with no warning. take care and enjoy the return home!!

my aunt's toy poodle once ate about three mint slice biscuits that he stole from a plate she had left on the table. it only took him about two minutes and they were all gone. he was a small dog (about 7 kilos) and they use dark chocolate on the biscuits so he was at risk, but I didn't know anything about the dangers at the time. he got the "hypers" and literally couldn't stop moving for a few hours. if I had have known then what I know now I would have made sure my aunt took him to the vets straight away as he really did seem to be suffering but neither of us knew about the problem with chocolate and just put it down to the sugar and just kept an eye on him and tried to keep him calm. Nina on the other hand once ate four lindt balls with the wrappers on after climbing up on the bed and then up on the chest of drawers to reach what we thought we had put out of reach!! i was worried about the affect of the chocolate as well as the wrappers but she pooed out four wrappers a day and a half later. she's always hyper so we couldn't tell the difference in her behaviour and she was about 20 kg at the time! i was already at work by the time my husband phoned to tell me what she'd done so she didn't get raced off to the vet. i'm the worrier in the family not him!!

sas - you are as ever the voice of reason in times of turmoil. would you believe that way back when we started barf I even bought a special container and labelled it and all... i'll write it in my diary to do the night before and then it will happen. it has gotten to the point lately where I have written "walk Nina and Ted" in the diary!! my husband says "nerd alert" whenever he sees my lists, but they keep me on track!

that would mean that I would have to remember two meals ahead (they are still on two meals a day). at the moment I'm having problems even remembering my own name. (I'm studying and working full time and feeling a bit frazzled!) Ted and Nina are the only things that are keeping me sane. oh... and my husband... the cats on the other hand are driving me mad... they move things on me and one of them deliberately knocks things off shelves to wake us up at four in the morning to feed them. mind you we have one of the cats doing "shake" for his dinner now after weeks of watching in absolute fascination as the dogs learnt to do this. he doesn't respond to the word though. he just does it now when he wants to be fed. which is all the time. hmmmmmm... who exactly is doing the training around here???

Ted, our Golden Retriever, is developing his own branch of clicker training - it is called "ping" training. we feed Nina and Ted BARF and often need to defrost their meals. Ted has now learned that "ping" equals food. when he hears the microwave go "ping" he will run over to it and sit beautifully looking up at it for its next instructions. if there are none forthcoming he will sometimes suggest some commands to the microwave - like "shake" or "drop" it's the joy of moments like this that keep us loving them after they have dug a huge hole under the clothes line isn't it?

SpikesPuppy, could you contact your vet about getting a prescription for the collar? that's what we have to do in NSW to have one anyway - that should pacify the customs people. we just ordered one from K9 Force. Paid a bit extra for handling but it was here within two days.

Ezza, it's funny how the dogs know don't they? our major problem normally (aside from the being away disaster) is one neighbour along the side - he does the same thing as you described except he also tries to stare Nina down. He is a little creepy generally and apparently while we were away he told our housesitter that we would have to get rid of her. I didn't know about this when I went and apologised to him otherwise I would have told him off (I know... it would have just antagonised him!!) he stares into our windows and yard when he thinks we aren't looking and generally gives me the creeps. my husband thinks I'm over reacting but Nina and I know the truth!!

Thanks to everyone for your replies (even though I didn't start this thread). We have just returned from our honeymoon and have ordered the No Bark Collar!! We actually met a lady in our travels who was using one and we got to inspect it first hand and see how it all worked with her and her dog. We had a bit of a disaster with our house, puppy and cat sitter and Nina's barking while we were away so it was great to read so much positive feedback as well about the collars and to hope that we might be able to help Nina. Thanks again to everyone for generously sharing their experience.

Hi Phebble, In my case I would really personally prefer to exchange her barking behaviour for something a bit more positive by using positive training methods and we have been gradually more successful with this over time when we are home. It is a natural reaction on Nina's part to protect her territory and I can understand that but our neighbours still don't really find it acceptable and it is a bit over the top given that she has been razzed up completely in the past by the kids over the fence. This is one area I am really interested in having some more progress with because one of our other neighbours has an unpredictable temper, sometimes he's understanding about her barking and can see that we are trying to do something about it and sometimes he goes completely psycho, and I am worried (maybe needlessly) that he might try and poison Nina if he gets annoyed. he's a bit odd. We can manage it when we are home, my concern is when we aren't so I am only guessing that success in training around this might be limited because of our absence and that something like a collar might be useful.

I don't know if they would hurt... I just assumed they would... If it was annoying for the dog rather than painful I would certainly consider trying one. Unika - I don't know about your circumstances but because we aren't home all day and due to the kids next door razing Nina up, our normal training around her barking only works when we are home and then we can get her quiet (but not prevent it in the first place) and we keep her inside with us as much as possible. so I think we need something that will also work while we are out. Tilly - what kind of collar does your neighbour have? does it hurt the dog at all?

We've used the citronella collar. We didn't have much luck with it I'm afraid. The cylinder holding the citronella needs to be refilled quite often, so is not effective in detering the barking longer term unless you are there to refill - otherwise you can't really use it as it is intended - i.e. on the dog and working all the time. I couldn't tell you if it would actually work as directed, as we are out during the day and Nina could bark to her hearts content once she had emptied the cylinder - which didn't take long with her! So she didn't really learn anything. When it did operate it did stop her barking immediately though. Don't know about not being able to use the electronic collars in NSW but I have seen them in some of the bigger pet warehouse places for sale. there are two kinds - one that just makes a noise (and costs about $100) and one that does the "impulse" and/or a noise. it was the one that gives the "impulse" that I saw for sale. my question would be - how much does that hurt?? I was freaked out enough by the idea of the citronella collar, but I am a wuss - with a dog that still barks!!

Glad it all went well Nat. Your post prompted me to try our long lead training on the weekend at home with our new long lead and Nina seemed to know when I had her attached on the lead and when I didn't. Not surprising really I know, but as soon as she was attached she wouldn't leave my side. doh!

hi there, we started the food wait and release thing with Nina but haven't done any work on it for a while. Our "leave it" command was "stolen". any food that is "stolen" she can't have. when we decide she can eat we tell her "Paid for". it is some old trick my husband knew of with a friend's dog when he was a kid. we have to start all over again now though because Ted moved in and Nina has finally discovered that she might have to protect her food. (i.e. eat it before someone else does!) she has also become a thief from bench tops - little smartie pants - and stole my toast this morning (which is the first successful attempt), so she's back on remedial training with stolen and paid for!!!!

Hi there, our group has freedom to choose also but we aren't recommended to use the body harnesses. i started using a check chain with Nina after going there and being shown how to use one properly and it has made a huge difference to our walks, even more so than our general training. we had tried everything else that I could find to buy before this, including a head halter (that's a whole story in itself!) and she actually strangles herself much worse on her flat collar. but I must admit that it took me a month to work up confidence using the check chain and I alternated between the two until I had figured it all out and realised that Nina was hurting herself more on the flat collar!!! having said that I'm pretty sure that I won't have to bother using one with Ted because he is much more responsive on the flat collar and doesn't have Nina's "drive" to play with every other dog on the planet when we are out walking!! I agree with the others that if they aren't giving you a choice you might have to shop a bit further afield for another training group. it really depends on your dog too, but you should certainly have the option of working within the bounds where you are comfortable and if you aren't comfortable with a check chain then you may not persist in learning how to use it best. praise and positive reinforcement should also be the chief motiviators used in training in my opinion - the kind of collar used is only to assist you in having some control.

someone else may be able to answer this... does this have anything to do with the anal glands?? i don't think it is cause for concern unless it becomes the only thing that you dog is pooing and then you should check with your vet. in humans only pooing mucus is a sign for a number of lower intestinal problems, but a little in normal "movements" is fine.

Hi Nat, I think I probably get just as stressed as you about this - so thanks for posting the topic and thanks everyone for replying. I find it a very fraught activity as well because everyone, including our vet, feels it their duty to recommend "off-lead" activities and tell me that we should take Nina and Ted off to do these things and they think that I'm being paranoid about it all that that things will be "alright". Having witnessed two dogs being run over I know that things are not always "alright". We are going to keep up recall training and I think that will help with my confidence but like you I am really picky about the safe areas. living in a place where half the population walks their dogs off lead in the street also doesn't help!!! i think they are mad to do it and only two of those people do I feel any trust that they actually have any kind of real recall working! good luck with everything!

roast chicken! they will do anything if they smell it about. I don't even have to have it in my hand. they are very obedient outside the chicken shop!! but I would also reinforce what others have said here about making sure you eventually train to a praise or no reward level - even though it wasn't your original question!!! I learnt alot from training my jack russell (i.e. she taught me alot!!) and made LOTS of mistakes - the end result was a dog that wouldn't perform anything past a drop or sit unless there was food visible in my hand. this is really not safe or convenient because I couldn't guarantee a recall or stop in dangerous situations. but you had probably planned to eventually wean off expected food rewards anyway!!

Poodlefan: Or perhaps take him to the vet. With a light boned, long necked dog like a whippet running at speed and hitting the end of a 20ft line, there's quite a good chance you'll injure him. Yet another training method I can't condone. N&T: Don't worry poodle fan - the owner is usually the one punished with this one!! I was advised the same thing with my old JRT. we used a body harness because I was worried about the neck thing too. turned out I should have been more worried for myself. I was the one who ended up with a rope burn because I was a dumbo and held the rope in my hand while she took off

K9 - I like the last part - it gives me a little bit of perspective . I have LOTS of opportunities to raise Nina's walking on a loose lead skills. and you are right too - i'm very emotionally invested in her learning how to do it well - right now!! but i accept that it takes time and realistic expectations of pace. she's getting there. as I've said in another of my posts - i realise that my end of the lead is the problem. and I think mooper's experience and also in my experience, sometimes in training groups it is the other humans that are a leetle bit insensitive and judgemental!!!

Nina (lab cross) kindly brings the washing to the back door for me so it is waiting there for me when i get home from work. I have not yet been able to train her not to drag it through the dirt first or to fold it up she has also been known to leave fang marks in things too since we have had ted (the golden retriever) though he thinks that this must be a game of tug and that buttons, ribbons and waist ties are superfluous and fulfil no useful function, so must be removed from the garment. he is very helpful that way. nina is growing out of it but if the pants that I wear on our walks are up there, then they must come down and be kept under her guard!! we hang stuff up now so that it lays across the whole clothes line. not economical with space, but economical with buttons!! works much better if it isn't flapping. they also don't bother to even try to remove it if they know that we are home. smartiepantses.

I get frustrated with the "regression" times - especially pulling on the lead. Nina has really been getting the point about not pulling while walking and then all of a sudden there will be the walk from hell. she'll bark, pull to get to anything that passes us and pull the whole walk. I do get quite angry out of frustration and disappointment because I usually can't find a cause for the difference. I usually pull them up and give us all a bit of time out and get them to do a few "sits" and "drops" until I calm down again because they can do those without any problems and it gives me an opportunity to praise them for something and begin feeling a bit more positive. I would put my anger down to my inexperience with training and being tired when we're out walking. I wish I didn't get cranky, but it seems to only happen when the whole walk is turning into a disaster!! so I'm watching myself now and giving Nina more opportunities to get things right!

tollerblaize, i'm so sorry it didn't work out. yes, i've read the dog whisperer book too and even found some of the ideas in that a bit harsh and sometimes pointless (but i did like the technique for training to fetch things!) good luck with your training and i'm sure that over time you will be able to resolve it. my very limited experience is that patience, persistance and consistency eventually works. and good on you for trying and learning from it.

Thanks Jacqui, I had read the ettiquette part - but hadn't scrolled down for the rest (oops - sorry - I thought that was all there was). Well, that's my new thing learnt for the day !